New Fundraising Method? Check Collection Box for Rare Coins!

Collecting a few pennies at a time doesn’t sound like the most effective way to raise money for charity.

But if you leave that coin donation box out long enough, the money will add up — and better yet, you might encounter some luck of the sort reportedly experienced by the Royal Berkshire Hospital recently.

A seemingly humble 2p piece in its coin donation box turned out to be a rarity (printed in silver rather than bronze, oops). A sharp-eyed volunteer noticed the oddity, and called an auction house. The coin ultimately sold for £802.03, a whopping 40,101 times its face value.

So there you have it; your fundraising lesson for the day. But actually, there are a few additional lessons to be learned from this story.

One is the value of volunteers, who bring fresh energy and knowledge into an organization. (Would a tired staffer emptying the box have noticed that a single coin in the pile was the wrong color?) See Nolo’s articles on “Volunteers and Your Nonprofit” for guidance on utilizing this resource.

Another is the value of publicity. I’ll bet the media outlets that reported on this weren’t tracking the auction house, but got word from the charity itself. And now you, I, and everyone reading the press coverage have heard of the Royal Berkshire Hospital. So if something similarly fun or interesting happens at your nonprofit, don’t be shy — call the press!